The #1 Best Eating Habit for Rapid Weight Loss, Says Dietitian

When trying to shed pounds quickly, you want to find easy and sustainable methods that will not only help rapid weight loss but also help you keep the weight off long-term. As opposed to fad dieting, this will help you and your body for a significant amount of time. Incorporating certain food and drink into your diet can help, as well as adapting particular healthy habits.

While there seem like many methods to help achieve rapid weight loss, there's one in particular that can help you remain consistent. According to Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim and The Portion Teller Plan, the #1 best eating habit for rapid weight loss is portion control.

"I'm a big believer in creating healthy habits. Therefore, I vote for portion control," says Young. "Larger portions have more calories than small ones, so it's important to eat smaller portions of calorie-dense foods."

Some examples Young suggests are eating smaller portions of ultra-processed foods such as French fries, soda, and pastries.

"Of course, it's best to cut these out, but since it's not sustainable, practicing portion control is a healthier option."

Aside from weight gain, constantly consuming processed foods could lead to other problems like a weakened immune system and an increase in your risk of certain chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes.

A study also showed that consuming an excessive amount of food with a high glycemic load (such as highly processed carbs) initiates a carbohydrate-insulin reaction. This changes the metabolism in a way that drives fat storage and overall weight gain.

While eliminating some of these foods, Young also suggests adding more fruits and veggies to your plate.

"Focus on what you can add to your diet versus coming from a place of deprivation," she says. "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. This way, you will not have to worry about staring at a half-empty plate."

This one simple trick allows you to eat a full plate without limiting yourself to only eating healthier food options as well as opting out of your favorite meals. By portioning out your plate, you can still eat the foods you love and crave. But, you also get to fill up on foods that provide more nutrients to your body.

Getting into the habit of eating lots of fruits and vegetables can also help you with weight loss. You'll get a large amount of fiber and in return help with your digestive system. If you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, you're also susceptible to eating more calories. This is because the product is rich in fiber and high in volume with few calories. Eliminating them from your diet will have you eating more less-filling foods with more calories, which is unsustainable. That would eventually lead to a lack of fullness.